Is There Any Physical And Substantial Progress Towards Production Of The Elio?

[KScarguy]

I am actually surprised, that you are surprised that anyone would ask questions and for "proof" about what progress (if any) that Elio has made towards getting into production, especially after Elio has been continually changing their story about delivery dates and has been doing this for over 8 years.

Everyone who put money down with the hope of buying one, is asking the same thing. I also bet the Parish, where Elio promised to hire 900 people by the end of this year, wonders where the proof is too.

Elio has shown work towards design, and I expect that since they are a design company. But Elio is not a manufacturing company, so I am asking if they are making any progress in that area. So far the answer has been no.

 

[Rickb]

I am actually surprised, that you are surprised that anyone would ask questions and for "proof" about what progress (if any) that Elio has made towards getting into production, especially after Elio has been continually changing their story about delivery dates and has been doing this for over 8 years.

Everyone who put money down with the hope of buying one, is asking the same thing. I also bet the Parish, where Elio promised to hire 900 people by the end of this year, wonders where the proof is too.

Elio has shown work towards design, and I expect that since they are a design company. But Elio is not a manufacturing company, so I am asking if they are making any progress in that area. So far the answer has been no.

I've been following Elio throughout those eight years. The first 5-6 years was developing the proof of concept along with designing and building the prototypes, seeking investor funding, and the relentless pursuit of the biggest and costliest hurdle of all finding a manufacturing facility. Although progress has seemed stalled while waiting for the engine testing the daily grind detail work in finalizing production specs, getting the plant ready, funding, and marketing moves on. I've observed major progress over the past TWO years.............since the manufacturing plant was locked in. As far as production delays.........expected as they are only anticipated timelines.

Shit happens happens along the way to cause understandable delays. Rickb

It doesn't matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop. Confucius

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Henry Ford

 

[CompTrex]

I've been following Elio throughout those eight years. The first 5-6 was developing the proof of concept followed by seeking investor funding, and the relentless pursuit biggest hurddle of all a manufacturing facility

So as a history lesson, how many times did they really move the production date? I've only been around for the last 6-8 months, so I only know of the last - 3rd qtr 2015 - production 'promise' / goal.

 

[Hightech]

The real production date formula:

X = Today's Date
Y = Months
Z = Production

X + Y = Z ; Where Y is ALWAYS greater then 9 yet less then 15

 

[LockMD]

 

[Ekh]

In May 2014 it was announced that the expected production timeframe had changed from 1st or 2nd quarter of 2015 to 3rd quarter of 2015. Despite much speculation this is actually the only official timeframe change this year. As we are mere weeks from the end of 2014 it appears likely that this one change will also remain the only official change to the timeframe this year.

The reality is that this is a vehicle still very much in the development phase and there will not be much obvious movement on the production side until six months or less before production actually begins.


As for development news Elio Motors has shown us photos of a fully machined and mostly assembled engine and has told us that the engine is currently in testing however we have not yet seen video or photos of the fully assembled engine running on the test stand. From what we know for the 3rd quarter 2015 timeline to be met we should be seeing movement on the chassis development side in the 1st quarter of 2015 as they must complete several months of full vehicle pre-production testing and a full crash test program before they can enter production.

IMO, they should be working on the e-series (pre-production cars) now in order to meet production in 2015 at all. Depends on whether they're being hand-built, or using some of the machinery for production cars -- if the latter, they'd better get cracking populating the plant with appropriate machinery. If the former, hand-building cars takes a long, long time -- and if they need 25 or so, I can't imagine how they will get that done without some production-type equipment.

Actually, dropping the engine and tranny into the body shouldn't be that hard to do -- unless you have to remove the body to repair the drive train! That mans there is no need to wait for the engines to be built -- as long as the physical geometry is known, which it is. Does anybody know if the P5, the measurement model (with higher roof line, better exhaust routing, etc) exists, or has even been started? Granted, that's not a vehicle for public use, just for manufacturing measurements, but without it, the pre-production test vehicles are nowhere. Or maybe they have some other way of getting the measurements they need -- which I doubt.

I don't know what Elio is actually doing -- maybe waiting until the ATVM application is ruled upon, maybe waiting for some other money to kick in, but they are, publicly at least, getting pretty far behind the 8-ball to get production started in 2015. That would be OK, except that they have built public expectations for a 2015 date, and have underlined that date so many times that they will lose tremendous credibility if they move production out more than a month or two into 2016. Very bad choice for a start-up to make; they either need to be paving they way for delay by acknowledging whatever the current state of affairs is, or they need to be showing more physical proof-of-progress such as taping the engine running, as suggested above.

Right now, they're like a guy standing on a dock, trying to get into a rowboat that isn't tied off -- you have to jump one way or the other pretty quick, or you're going to get the splits and a dunking!

My personal guess is that they've hit some glitches and are hoping to recover from them quickly enough to make their production deadline ... hence the silence. But they are running out of time, and a long, long silence will cause more pain than acknowledging whatever issues may be delaying things.

 

[eddie66]

I'm thinkin Takata will have a problem keeping up with the air bag production with all their attention dedicated to dealing with the current recalls.

 

[Jay3wheel]

I'm thinkin Takata will have a problem keeping up with the air bag production with all their attention dedicated to dealing with the current recalls.

I have mentioned Takata and their issues a couple of times, nobody seems to care.

 

[eddie66]

I have mentioned Takata and their issues a couple of times, nobody seems to care.

Let's hope that isn't one of the products they get " off the shelf". That is a little cabin to try to dodge shrapnel.

 

[jetpack54]

EM claimed that they don't need the ATVM loan to start production but will help to bring our ELIO sooner. With that in mind, it's safe to say that they have the necessary funding to start production next year, right? Does it also mean that by them saying it could be "sooner" with the ATVM's additional infusion of funds they can launch much earlier say summer of 2015 as opposed to winter of 2015? Or, does it mean they have the funds to launch but needs the ATVM money to sustain production or another delay is forthcoming? I want to cheer myself up and say they're getting ready to give us a Christmas surprise that the new engine has been successfully tested meeting the 84 mpg and that pre-production units are ready to be crash tested! I'll take that as a X'mas gift from EM!